happy new years, dears.
old things have gone, new things have come.
we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
bear fruit with patience.
look up, for your redemption draws nigh.
therefore, since all of these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we be?
set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
walk in newness of life.
31 December 2011
24 December 2011
scored.
butter london fash pack and tea with the queen.
that would be sufficient right there.
shirts, socks, candles. perfect.
wagamama cookbook. WAGAMAMA COOKBOOK.
read: japanese noodle and sushi party coming soon.
baking stone, wire cooling racks.
read: pizza party. bread party. macaron party. carb city. my house. be there.
meine erste kleine elberfelder bibel!!!!!!!!!!!
and swanky long johns.
to wear with my swanky SNOWSHOES.
yep. probably the best christmas present year ev.
thanks Jesus. thanks fam.
now we just need some snow.
xx
23 December 2011
what i want for christmas.
the chances are slim that i'll ever get any of this for christmas, but who cares about details like that?
Le Creuset pots. especially a big pot to cook Boeuf Bourguignon.
let's throw a KitchenAid mixer in there. or a Thermomix. actually, let's do both, just to be safe.
a mink coat.
tickets to the Vienna Opera House on New Years' Eve. no big. i'll wear the mink.
a hot air balloon ride, just for kicks.
a new pair of kicks, just for fun.
and something fun and ingenious, like a surprise! ..just because.
and that's that.
happy christmas x
Le Creuset pots. especially a big pot to cook Boeuf Bourguignon.
let's throw a KitchenAid mixer in there. or a Thermomix. actually, let's do both, just to be safe.
a mink coat.
tickets to the Vienna Opera House on New Years' Eve. no big. i'll wear the mink.
a hot air balloon ride, just for kicks.
a new pair of kicks, just for fun.
and something fun and ingenious, like a surprise! ..just because.
and that's that.
happy christmas x
16 December 2011
trust also in Him.
The word trust is the heart word of faith. It is the Old Testament word, the word given to the early and infant stage of faith. The word faith expresses more the act of the will, the word belief the act of the mind or intellect, but trust is the language of the heart. The other has reference more to a truth believed or a thing expected.
Trust implies more than this, it sees and feels, and leans upon a person, a great, true, living heart of love. So let us "trust also in Him,"
through all the delays,
in spite of all the difficulties,
in the face of all the denials,
notwithstanding all the seemings,
even when we cannot understand the way,
and know not the issue;
still "trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass."
The way will open, the right issue will come, the end will be peace, the cloud will be lifted,
and the light of an eternal noonday shall shine at last.
Trust and rest when all around thee
Puts thy faith to sorest test;
Let no fear or foe confound thee,
Wait for God and trust and rest.
Trust and rest with heart abiding,
Like a birdling in its nest,
Underneath His feathers hiding,
Fold thy wings and trust and rest.
--Streams in the Desert, 15th December
10 December 2011
01 December 2011
ninety-nine.
i just spent the last hour or so reading stories of woe from people all across the nation. they call themselves the ninety-nine percent.
having purposed to discover what the occupiers are about, here is what i gather:
-most of them are upset
-most of them are upset at rich people, large corporations, and wall street in general [some just like being upset]
-most of them needed a place to rant
-most of them have pretty dramatic stories
-most of them consider themselves among the lucky
-many of them have health problems
-most of them don't have health insurance
-most of them are waiting for the next health emergency to force them onto the streets
-most of them are in debt
-and i'd estimate that 99% of them have very large college debt.
most of them are upset because the authorities told them that they need/have a right to higher education.
"they" told them they needed to have college degrees to succeed.
and they can't get jobs.
[funnily enough, the token bottom-of-the-barrel, lowest-on-the-totem-pole job is... waitressing! i thought we made pretty good money..?]
but no, no- "we" have "rights" to do what we want and make a killing for it! because we're awesome and "weee can do annnythingggg!!!"
but we can't get jobs to pay off our college debts for degrees we can't use but we got them anyway because we thought they would turn into jobs! fun, hip, cool, money jobs! like swimming with dolphins! and playing video games!
[personal opinion: don't go to college unless you really, desperately need to.
subpoint a: they don't give you a whole lot of straight-up education. they talk a lot. using your mind is optional but risky.
subpoint b: it costs a lot more than you will probably ever be able to pay, with or without government funding which may or may not exist.
subpoint c: jobs in your area of choice may or may not exist. heavy on the may not.
subpoint d: EDUCATE YOURSELF. go to the library [it's free]. read books, not just twitter. get some legit skills, not just a piece of paper and a $100k bill. learn the truth, learn to think, learn from history, learn because you are a person and you were meant to use your mind! we can talk about this later.]
"they" told them they needed to have more stuff, and nicer stuff, and newer stuff, and more money to spend it on more pleasures.
and they bought it hook, line, and sinker. because we're america and we do what we want.
i think we want a lot.
selfishness hasn't done any of us much good, ever.
but let's just point fingers at other selfish people to make ourselves look more awesome!
"they" told them they needed to have the right to do whatever they very well please.
i think not many people are actually doing what they please right now.. except for maybe complaining.
but some are counting their blessings.
most are "tightening their belts" to use that phrase for the hundredth time this week.
hard work consists of two parts: it's hard and it's work.
but mühsam ernährt sich das Eichhörnchen.
hard, repetetive, laborious, not-fun, strenuous toil [diligence] nourishes the squirrel.
change takes effort and diligence and discipline and probably a healthy amount of humility.
despite theories, propositions, and promises, nobody really knows how to actually change this, as far as i can tell.
america isn't exactly working well enough to keep the whole american dream thing happening anymore.
sad but true.
but there must be small things we can do, personally and collectively.
one acorn at a time, little Eichhörnchen.
be faithful with what's been entrusted to you.
and is it completely upright and honest to blame the "one percent" of rich people?
not to say they aren't to blame.
i really don't know who is to blame.
probably 100% of us. and the devil. and the flesh. and the world. and sin.
and maybe even the grace of God, not letting us continue in it.
we're people. we're kind of a mess.
and this is our country. and we are blessed.
who can help? hmm. maybe somebody big? somebody who can see everything?
maybe God?
i can offer one simple solution:
we need Jesus. we need to let Him be the Lord in our lives.
we need to pray. maybe He will turn this country around. or maybe He'll save people by letting them go through hard times.
we need to be in the Word of God. we need transformed minds and truth on which to stand.
we need hope and security. [it doesn't look like a government, or a reform, or a movement, or a protest, or a degree, or a job, or a paycheck, or insurance will cover that in the long run.]
read the Bible. in it you will find answers and peace and safety and refuge. such as:
those who trust the Lord shall not be shaken. quit freaking out and believe Him already [my own adaptation]. work heartily as unto the Lord. trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. trust in the Lord and do good. learn, in whatever state you are, to be content. the Lord is your keeper.
having purposed to discover what the occupiers are about, here is what i gather:
-most of them are upset
-most of them are upset at rich people, large corporations, and wall street in general [some just like being upset]
-most of them needed a place to rant
-most of them have pretty dramatic stories
-most of them consider themselves among the lucky
-many of them have health problems
-most of them don't have health insurance
-most of them are waiting for the next health emergency to force them onto the streets
-most of them are in debt
-and i'd estimate that 99% of them have very large college debt.
most of them are upset because the authorities told them that they need/have a right to higher education.
"they" told them they needed to have college degrees to succeed.
and they can't get jobs.
[funnily enough, the token bottom-of-the-barrel, lowest-on-the-totem-pole job is... waitressing! i thought we made pretty good money..?]
but no, no- "we" have "rights" to do what we want and make a killing for it! because we're awesome and "weee can do annnythingggg!!!"
but we can't get jobs to pay off our college debts for degrees we can't use but we got them anyway because we thought they would turn into jobs! fun, hip, cool, money jobs! like swimming with dolphins! and playing video games!
[personal opinion: don't go to college unless you really, desperately need to.
subpoint a: they don't give you a whole lot of straight-up education. they talk a lot. using your mind is optional but risky.
subpoint b: it costs a lot more than you will probably ever be able to pay, with or without government funding which may or may not exist.
subpoint c: jobs in your area of choice may or may not exist. heavy on the may not.
subpoint d: EDUCATE YOURSELF. go to the library [it's free]. read books, not just twitter. get some legit skills, not just a piece of paper and a $100k bill. learn the truth, learn to think, learn from history, learn because you are a person and you were meant to use your mind! we can talk about this later.]
"they" told them they needed to have more stuff, and nicer stuff, and newer stuff, and more money to spend it on more pleasures.
and they bought it hook, line, and sinker. because we're america and we do what we want.
i think we want a lot.
selfishness hasn't done any of us much good, ever.
but let's just point fingers at other selfish people to make ourselves look more awesome!
"they" told them they needed to have the right to do whatever they very well please.
i think not many people are actually doing what they please right now.. except for maybe complaining.
but some are counting their blessings.
most are "tightening their belts" to use that phrase for the hundredth time this week.
hard work consists of two parts: it's hard and it's work.
but mühsam ernährt sich das Eichhörnchen.
hard, repetetive, laborious, not-fun, strenuous toil [diligence] nourishes the squirrel.
change takes effort and diligence and discipline and probably a healthy amount of humility.
despite theories, propositions, and promises, nobody really knows how to actually change this, as far as i can tell.
america isn't exactly working well enough to keep the whole american dream thing happening anymore.
sad but true.
but there must be small things we can do, personally and collectively.
one acorn at a time, little Eichhörnchen.
be faithful with what's been entrusted to you.
and is it completely upright and honest to blame the "one percent" of rich people?
not to say they aren't to blame.
i really don't know who is to blame.
probably 100% of us. and the devil. and the flesh. and the world. and sin.
and maybe even the grace of God, not letting us continue in it.
we're people. we're kind of a mess.
and this is our country. and we are blessed.
who can help? hmm. maybe somebody big? somebody who can see everything?
maybe God?
i can offer one simple solution:
we need Jesus. we need to let Him be the Lord in our lives.
we need to pray. maybe He will turn this country around. or maybe He'll save people by letting them go through hard times.
we need to be in the Word of God. we need transformed minds and truth on which to stand.
we need hope and security. [it doesn't look like a government, or a reform, or a movement, or a protest, or a degree, or a job, or a paycheck, or insurance will cover that in the long run.]
read the Bible. in it you will find answers and peace and safety and refuge. such as:
those who trust the Lord shall not be shaken. quit freaking out and believe Him already [my own adaptation]. work heartily as unto the Lord. trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. trust in the Lord and do good. learn, in whatever state you are, to be content. the Lord is your keeper.
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I SHALL NOT WANT.
[that means He'll take care of us.]
[He doesn't lie.]
Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
BUT YOU, O MAN OF GOD,
flee these things
and pursue
righteousness,
godliness,
faith,
love,
patience,
gentleness.
[1 Timothy 6:6-11]
more like Jesus, less like me.
less like lemmings, more like trees.
solid, rooted, established.
not shaken, not afraid, not hopeless.
pursuing the right things and being blessed.
pursuing the right things and being blessed.
we are the redeemed.
snack food.
baked goat brie
spicy cranberry chutney
honeycrisp apple
cracked pepper triscuits
helpful hints:
if halving recipe: pay attention! pay attention! pay attention!
when bringing successfully-halved water and sugar to a boil, do not boil on high. for, lo and behold, it burns. quickly.
please do persevere until you have achieved a finished delicious spicy cranberry chutney. it is worth the effort.
tell all of your friends that they need to eat this because it is delicious.
don't become a braggadocio though. let another man praise you and not your own mouth.because your mouth will be full of tasty brie and chutney and apple and cracker!
miam miam!
29 November 2011
nailed it. [eskinavamojo]
hearkening back to a previous blog post from one year, two weeks, and one day ago, I HAVE ACHIEVED THE INCREDIBLE.
to understand what i am referring to, please read this.
it is black, grey, and white navajo-esque print. toggles and zipper and top and bottom snaps. sherpa lined hood. faux fur on top baby.
my dream has come true.
i am now ready to hibernate in style.
to understand what i am referring to, please read this.
it is black, grey, and white navajo-esque print. toggles and zipper and top and bottom snaps. sherpa lined hood. faux fur on top baby.
my dream has come true.
i am now ready to hibernate in style.
28 November 2011
oh to be flora grubb.
i'd really love one of these:
but it seems as though succulents cannot be purchased in a small town on the prairie in the end of november.
so, i settled for a two dollar jade plant,
played in the dirt for a bit,
25 November 2011
thankful heart.
thanksgiving is not about perfect.
it's not about food.
it's not about turkey.
it's not about black friday shopping.
it's not about football or parades.
thanksgiving is about being thankful.
and blessing God for the blessings He's so graciously bestowed upon us.
whether it's a perfect day or not.
and most likely, it won't be.
but we can thank Him even for that.
we're people. and unique. and interesting.
interesting things happen.
no need to fret or fear.
patience builds character, and character hope, and hope does not disappoint.
life is not about perfect.
it's about enjoying it even when it's not.
because it's life and life's a gift.
and there are a lot of amazing things happening in each of our lives.
it's about realizing how blessed we are.
and that enables thankfulness.
it's not about food.
it's not about turkey.
it's not about black friday shopping.
it's not about football or parades.
thanksgiving is about being thankful.
and blessing God for the blessings He's so graciously bestowed upon us.
whether it's a perfect day or not.
and most likely, it won't be.
but we can thank Him even for that.
we're people. and unique. and interesting.
interesting things happen.
no need to fret or fear.
patience builds character, and character hope, and hope does not disappoint.
life is not about perfect.
it's about enjoying it even when it's not.
because it's life and life's a gift.
and there are a lot of amazing things happening in each of our lives.
it's about realizing how blessed we are.
and that enables thankfulness.
Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
24 November 2011
and we are glad.
i'm thankful for my job.
and i'm thankful i didn't have to work today.
i'm thankful that i got to stay home and cook our family's thanksgiving meal with my mom.
i'm thankful that although the cranberry chutney failed twice [once wrong proportions and once burnt], the third time it came out beautifully.
i'm thankful i got to make a pecan pie the other night, with my great-grandma's pie crust recipe, baked in my grandma's cast iron skillet, and a legit southern recipe. [i am the resident southerner in the family. i'm thankful for that too. all northern blood, but southern-born, through and through].
i'm thankful i could make a pumpkin pie, and it seems not to have flopped?
i'm thankful i could make a pumpkin roll.. although for a few moments i despaired.
i've realized that cooking makes me quite happy and quite
i'm thankful that life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
and so is thanksgiving.
i'm thankful that it was 63 degrees out today. on november 24th. it's unbelievable. thanks Lord!
i'm thankful that i could ride my bike for the first time in almost 3 months.
i'm thankful that although i had another moment of despair upon realizing my hard efforts had gotten the wrong bike out of the garage, it was possible to get the right one out of the maze and onto the empty streets.
i'm thankful i have a family with whom to celebrate and be thankful.
i'm thankful for mashed potatoes too, which now need to be mashed.
let thanks and praise and joy fill your hearts this gladful day.
xx!
and i'm thankful i didn't have to work today.
i'm thankful that i got to stay home and cook our family's thanksgiving meal with my mom.
i'm thankful that although the cranberry chutney failed twice [once wrong proportions and once burnt], the third time it came out beautifully.
i'm thankful i got to make a pecan pie the other night, with my great-grandma's pie crust recipe, baked in my grandma's cast iron skillet, and a legit southern recipe. [i am the resident southerner in the family. i'm thankful for that too. all northern blood, but southern-born, through and through].
i'm thankful i could make a pumpkin pie, and it seems not to have flopped?
i'm thankful i could make a pumpkin roll.. although for a few moments i despaired.
i've realized that cooking makes me quite happy and quite
i'm thankful that life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
and so is thanksgiving.
i'm thankful that it was 63 degrees out today. on november 24th. it's unbelievable. thanks Lord!
i'm thankful that i could ride my bike for the first time in almost 3 months.
i'm thankful that although i had another moment of despair upon realizing my hard efforts had gotten the wrong bike out of the garage, it was possible to get the right one out of the maze and onto the empty streets.
i'm thankful i have a family with whom to celebrate and be thankful.
i'm thankful for mashed potatoes too, which now need to be mashed.
let thanks and praise and joy fill your hearts this gladful day.
xx!
22 November 2011
it's a bundt.
actually it's "the world's best apple cake ever."
they said it, not me.
it wasn't bad.
21 November 2011
couch conversation
me: "i would not eat them with a fox, i would not eat them in a box..."
brennan: my tummy hurts!
me: do you need a kiss?
brennan: no..
me: do you want to sit on my lap?
brennan: no..
me: do you need to go see dad?
brennan: no..
bryce: i know! are you hungry??
brennan: YES!
me: ...
my two-year-old nephew can now talk fluently. it's a trip.
my nephews took me to the library today.
nephews are the best.
brennan: my tummy hurts!
me: do you need a kiss?
brennan: no..
me: do you want to sit on my lap?
brennan: no..
me: do you need to go see dad?
brennan: no..
bryce: i know! are you hungry??
brennan: YES!
me: ...
my two-year-old nephew can now talk fluently. it's a trip.
my nephews took me to the library today.
nephews are the best.
19 November 2011
samstag.
it's snowing.
i made banana cream cake.
nephews are coming over to play.
i brought about a thousand bags of tea home.. well, almost anyway.
my home is so cozy.
i in my savior am happy and blessed.
life can change in a moment, so enjoy every bit of it.
thanksgiving is in 5 days. i get to help cook and bake this year!!
i need to unpack.
i couldn't handle the thought of snow until today. it seemed too soon. and now, having had one full day of gazing at the stark, bleak, midwestern beauty [muted tans and greens and greys and dark evergreens.. it's really my favorite palette ever, maybe even moreso than norwegian fjörd palette...maybe], it was just time today. besides, snow-white the color goes so beautifully with stark and bleak. so, hello winter. don't stay as long as last year please, but i'll enjoy you nevertheless.
gemütlichen=cozy.
it's time to read Apple Tree Christmas.
x
i made banana cream cake.
nephews are coming over to play.
i brought about a thousand bags of tea home.. well, almost anyway.
my home is so cozy.
i in my savior am happy and blessed.
life can change in a moment, so enjoy every bit of it.
thanksgiving is in 5 days. i get to help cook and bake this year!!
i need to unpack.
i couldn't handle the thought of snow until today. it seemed too soon. and now, having had one full day of gazing at the stark, bleak, midwestern beauty [muted tans and greens and greys and dark evergreens.. it's really my favorite palette ever, maybe even moreso than norwegian fjörd palette...maybe], it was just time today. besides, snow-white the color goes so beautifully with stark and bleak. so, hello winter. don't stay as long as last year please, but i'll enjoy you nevertheless.
gemütlichen=cozy.
it's time to read Apple Tree Christmas.
x
18 November 2011
gladness and simplicity of heart.
i'm home!
flight from london was delayed a few hours.
so i missed the minneapolis flight; but all flights to mpls were booked for the night anyways.
so i had a couple hours to get through customs and eat a frozen yogurt, and fly off to south dakota.
brother picked me up and we were home by midnight.
win win.
it's so lovely to be home! i love my family and my house and my state.
the colors of late fall are sooooo gorgeous. like somebody cranked down the saturation button and left everything all pale and frosty.
i'm sharing at church on sunday afternoon about my missionary journey! if you're around, you are most heartily welcomed.
it'll be fun to think through the whole trip and gather pictures and memories and thoughts to share.
i'm blessed.
love love.
flight from london was delayed a few hours.
so i missed the minneapolis flight; but all flights to mpls were booked for the night anyways.
so i had a couple hours to get through customs and eat a frozen yogurt, and fly off to south dakota.
brother picked me up and we were home by midnight.
win win.
it's so lovely to be home! i love my family and my house and my state.
the colors of late fall are sooooo gorgeous. like somebody cranked down the saturation button and left everything all pale and frosty.
i'm sharing at church on sunday afternoon about my missionary journey! if you're around, you are most heartily welcomed.
it'll be fun to think through the whole trip and gather pictures and memories and thoughts to share.
i'm blessed.
love love.
16 November 2011
coming home!
last night in england and europe!
hoping to catch the 1pm flight to chicago tomorrow from london, and from there to get on the plane to minneapolis.
the flight from chicago to MSP is not looking good. but i trust the Lord. He'll keep me safe and get me to where i need to be.
please pray that i don't have to spend the night in chicago....!
xo a!
hoping to catch the 1pm flight to chicago tomorrow from london, and from there to get on the plane to minneapolis.
the flight from chicago to MSP is not looking good. but i trust the Lord. He'll keep me safe and get me to where i need to be.
please pray that i don't have to spend the night in chicago....!
xo a!
14 November 2011
leading worship tonight at monday night class.
it's speakers week.
this morning's theme: diligence.
DILIGENCE.
don't give up.
don't be deceived: whatsoever you sow, you shall also reap.
sow nothing, reap nothing.
sow "bla", reap "bla".
see how it goes?
i want to be diligent.
leaving germany tomorrow evening.
soaking it in until then.
it's speakers week.
this morning's theme: diligence.
DILIGENCE.
don't give up.
don't be deceived: whatsoever you sow, you shall also reap.
sow nothing, reap nothing.
sow "bla", reap "bla".
see how it goes?
i want to be diligent.
leaving germany tomorrow evening.
soaking it in until then.
10 November 2011
if i had a boat.
i am:
too cozy in my house to go out to the store. it's only a block away.
currently convinced: when all else fails, eat some drop. [drop is dutch salty black licorice- takes some getting used to, like sushi. but it really hits the spot!]
thinking and thinking about options. but not afraid.
ready to get some new music. it's wintertime now.
wanting to read. thoreau. poets. baking books. something long and classic.
blessed by the fellowship of believers. wirklich. last night in münster was an enormous encouragement to all of us involved, i'd say.
spending the evening with my prayer outreach sisters. it's never boring when we're together!
missing my typewriter. and my bike. and the option of listening to records.
not terribly sad about the imminent possibility of snow.
but i am terribly sad to leave germany right before christmas market season!
not as great at german as i imagine. deutsche ehrlichkeit. but i'm definitely not opposed to improvement.
glad to see my family and my home soon.
bewildered by the fact that i've been in europe nearly 10 weeks.. and the seasons have now changed twice.
proud to say that i did not fall prey to temptation in the shoe store last night.
determined to finish knitting my socks.
likewise determined to get creative once i'm home.
excited to celebrate my nephew's 5th birthday with him. he was born my first semester in germany. time flies, even though so much good stuff is packed in there!
blessed.
going to the store now.
too cozy in my house to go out to the store. it's only a block away.
currently convinced: when all else fails, eat some drop. [drop is dutch salty black licorice- takes some getting used to, like sushi. but it really hits the spot!]
thinking and thinking about options. but not afraid.
ready to get some new music. it's wintertime now.
wanting to read. thoreau. poets. baking books. something long and classic.
blessed by the fellowship of believers. wirklich. last night in münster was an enormous encouragement to all of us involved, i'd say.
spending the evening with my prayer outreach sisters. it's never boring when we're together!
missing my typewriter. and my bike. and the option of listening to records.
not terribly sad about the imminent possibility of snow.
but i am terribly sad to leave germany right before christmas market season!
not as great at german as i imagine. deutsche ehrlichkeit. but i'm definitely not opposed to improvement.
glad to see my family and my home soon.
bewildered by the fact that i've been in europe nearly 10 weeks.. and the seasons have now changed twice.
proud to say that i did not fall prey to temptation in the shoe store last night.
determined to finish knitting my socks.
likewise determined to get creative once i'm home.
excited to celebrate my nephew's 5th birthday with him. he was born my first semester in germany. time flies, even though so much good stuff is packed in there!
blessed.
going to the store now.
09 November 2011
yeah!
voice is on the mend, and friday's still a go!
ticket has been purchased. i get a few extra days in germany AND a whole day with my friends in england before i fly home. win, win.
going to münster with katha this afternoon to visit chris and nada and the church! so excited.
on a more thoughtful note, do you write/blog/journal what the Lord is doing in your life? it is such a blessing and a stamp of approval of faith to look back and read what the Lord has taught me this year. i can see His hand of faithfulness, His wisdom, His guidance, His provision, His higher plans than mine, and His promise to remain ever faithful to His name and His Word. He did put things on my heart and He was faithful to do them. how do i get in such a tizzy so often? glad being God is His job, and being His is mine.
oh, life in Him is glorious. don't forget to remember! and once you remember, rest in the simple abundant life of abiding in Him.
ticket has been purchased. i get a few extra days in germany AND a whole day with my friends in england before i fly home. win, win.
going to münster with katha this afternoon to visit chris and nada and the church! so excited.
on a more thoughtful note, do you write/blog/journal what the Lord is doing in your life? it is such a blessing and a stamp of approval of faith to look back and read what the Lord has taught me this year. i can see His hand of faithfulness, His wisdom, His guidance, His provision, His higher plans than mine, and His promise to remain ever faithful to His name and His Word. He did put things on my heart and He was faithful to do them. how do i get in such a tizzy so often? glad being God is His job, and being His is mine.
oh, life in Him is glorious. don't forget to remember! and once you remember, rest in the simple abundant life of abiding in Him.
07 November 2011
requests:
voice needs to be restored! i've got big plans for it on friday. i'm on antibiotics till wednesday. every day it's a little better! but please pray.
ticket to england needs to happen. internet, airline website, and credit card are all involved in a terrible scheme to prevent me from purchasing one. pray for the right timing, and that i'll actually be able to book something... the plan is to leave in less than a week, if i can get a flight..!
ticket to england needs to happen. internet, airline website, and credit card are all involved in a terrible scheme to prevent me from purchasing one. pray for the right timing, and that i'll actually be able to book something... the plan is to leave in less than a week, if i can get a flight..!
06 November 2011
one more week.
it's sunday night, i'm curled up on my favorite couch with tea and candles, and getting ready for my last week in germany.
the last time i updated was after holland. plenty has happened since then. i went to visit my friend B and her sweet little boy ezra, and we spent about a day and a half together. her husband gerson is another good friend of mine, but he was out of town. we all started here in siegen the same semester.. 5 years ago! crazy how much can change in 5 years. the Lord's been very good to us. it's always a blessing to talk with them about ministry and life.
the rest of the week was spent gearing up for the next leg of my journey, and trying to rest up and not get sick. [the illness was merely delayed.] for on saturday the 22nd, i and four dear german friends got on a plane and headed to the middle east/asia minor for a week long prayer outreach.
we spent time in two cities, and our agenda was to pray. so we had times of prayer in our hotel, at tea places, walking around the cities and by the sea, and at a few other places which had nice views of the cities. one of the cities has a few known believers; the other has none. it's a muslim country.
it was a stretching week. you'd think a week of praying wouldn't be so hard. but it really is exerting. we were often tired, and all of us got sick at some point during the week. i had a fever two nights, and a really sore throat which led to a cough which led to bronchitis. three of the others either had or currently have bronchitis. i've spent the past week just resting and trying to recover from that. some nights were fairly sleepless, some days seemed like we were running against a brick wall. some days it was hard to keep praying. some days it was hard to focus on what was being said, especially for me, the resident native english speaker. my german reached new heights last week, out of necessity! it was hard to just live and be but also realize the spiritual reality of the places we were in. but despite the hard things, it was such a blessed week.
it's our work to believe God. it's seems much easier to have a checklist and to do those things, one at a time, and to look back on our progress. it's another thing entirely to go and to just believe and to ask the Lord for faith to believe great things of Him. to believe that multitudes will come to know the Savior who loves them. one couple we met, who are believers, said they had never heard that God could love, before they heard of Jesus. this is a foreign thing, but the gospel reaches beyond culture. it reaches hearts. it saves souls.
it was an eye-opening week. it was a motive-challenging week. "why do i really believe what i believe?" "is christianity so important to me that i would come to a place where people are sometimes openly hostile toward it, to share the love of God, regardless of the outcome or response?" when it comes down to it, i think my faith had to grow down roots last week, or make wings and fly and never again be seen. faith has to be real in a place like that. if it isn't real, then it certainly isn't worth losing everything for it. if it isn't worth losing everything, that they may gain everything God has in store for them, then why would i even dare to presume that people would want it?
the reality is, Jesus died and rose again that the whole world might have life. they have to choose what to do with Jesus. [but first they have to hear about Him. and how will they hear unless they are told? and how will those tellers and gospel-proclaimers preach unless they are sent? how beautiful, indeed, are the feet of those who proclaim the good news...]
and i have to choose what to do with Jesus. am i only willing to serve Him when i'm in a comfortable place with people who are like me, in a nice church building with comfortable chairs and really good worship and a sound doctrinal message? is that really what church is about? we know it's not supposed to be that way... but so often, it stops there. we like things to be beautiful, and nice, and comforting to ourselves. often we simply do church because. not necessarily that Jesus' name would receive the glory and the praise- that every tongue in heaven and earth would confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
i think we often don't think about why we're christians. we don't think about the gospel. it makes life better for us, right? sweet. totally. i can't imagine my life without Jesus. i would be a basketcase without Jesus. He is daily renewing me. but in that renewing process there had to come a point where i took a cold hard stare at the gospel and said "do i really mean it all? is it really worth my all? and if so, am i really giving my all? and is Jesus worthy of my all?" i'm still at that point. i need to understand the gospel, in its simplicity and its power. the gospel is brutal to sin and the flesh. the gospel is not about all that i can get for me. the gospel is the best thing that can happen to me. we are meant to be in a personal relationship with God and He wants it and i need it- and He has to deal with sin in order to make that happen. so there's the cross. so there's the blood of Jesus which washes sinners white as snow. so there's grace- great marvelous grace, which is a free gift, and in which i stand, and by which i am saved from the black hole of trying to work my way to God and salvation. there's hope in Jesus. there's life in Jesus. He only is the way, the truth, and the life. He is indeed the truth- if you don't believe it, try Him and see. if you seek Him, you will indeed find Him. He said so. He doesn't lie.
so my mind is still trying to process all these thoughts. to understand the gospel with my heart. i'll never fully get it with my head. the wisdom of God seems like foolishness to man. but He ordained it to be that way. i'll never with persuasive words of human wisdom be able to show people why Jesus is the only way. but in sincerity and truth, preaching Christ alone and Him crucified, i can offer life abundant through Him. the gospel is so simple, but it requires all your heart, soul, mind and strength. it requires your whole life.
so i want my life to be sincere. i don't like games. i don't like saying one thing and doing another. i might do it sometimes but i know it isn't right. we're called to holiness. we're called to godliness. we're called to leave our sin at the foot of the cross. maybe that sin is unbelief, maybe it's compromise, maybe it's saying we're walking in the light when actually we're still walking in the dark. maybe it's not truly loving one another, maybe it's not letting God put His finger on our sin and wash us clean, maybe it's just not obeying the Word, or not even reading the Word. maybe it's living by fear and not faith. maybe it's letting the enemy control our thoughts and not letting Jesus truly be the Lord of our lives. maybe it's not obeying what we know the Lord has told us to do. sin's ugly. we're people. we all sin. but there's hope. there's life in Jesus- and there's the Holy Spirit who does the work within us, making us new, transforming us, making us like Jesus, producing good fruit within us as we abide in Him.
this turned into kind of a long rant. it's not really directed toward anyone in particular. maybe it's because it's directed toward myself. i need Jesus. i need Him to deal with my sin. and i know that as He does that, He is also directing every single step of my life. in Him i find everything i need. everything.
i have one more week in germany.. a little less, actually. then a few days in england. and then home again. there will without doubt be countless people in the next two weeks who ask me what i'm doing with my life. where i'm going. when i'm going. bla bla bla. i don't really have answers for them. i didn't come out here to find answers. i came out here because i knew i needed it, and i knew i was supposed to come. and at the end of my trip, i can truly say i was supposed to come. i did need it. it was wonderful. [it still is.]
this trip has given me great perspective. i've seen so many ministries, met so many people, had so many conversations, shared my heart so many times, prayed with so many, and have spent hours trying to process it all.. ministry, calling, life, choices, big things, little things. everything. i haven't figured it all out yet. but this i know: God's work is His work, and it's a blessing to be part of it, whether in the thick of it or praying from halfway across the world. [if you're a christian, you probably ought to be in one of those two camps at all times, and probably both of those camps most of the time. just saying.]
and this i also know: God directs the steps of the righteous. if you've read this far, you've seen a bit of my heart. i don't know if i'll ever share this stuff with you personally. maybe. we'll see. but instead of fretting for yourself or for me what we shall with our lives do, let us trust the Lord, commit our way unto Him, and watch Him bring it to pass. be careful, friends, in suggesting an abundance of good things to people who want to do the best thing. it can be fairly crippling. i've received many an invitation, many a welcome, many a suggestion of what to do with my life. they were all well-meant, but those things please me and frighten me at once. i trust in the Lord to give me direction, to put on my heart what to do next, and what to do after that. i do not want to live fearing the future or what could be. i want to walk by faith. help me to do that. pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen my faith in Him, though that may mean having an even looser grasp on the things of this world, and that He would be true to His Word and continue to faithfully direct my steps. i just want to please Him and do His will. wherever, whenever, whatever. He's my Lord.
maybe that all makes sense, maybe it bored you enough to make you check your facebook, maybe it struck a nerve. either way, that's where i'm at. i want to obey Jesus. and i want to bring honor to His name. sometimes that takes sacrifice- not legalistic sacrifice, but obedience. it'll cost you to obey Jesus. it might cost you some of the nice things you like the best, if they're getting in between you and Jesus. but if He asks for them and you're willing to give them to Him, it'll bless you more than you can imagine. so be transformed by the renewing of your minds in the washing of the water of the Word this week, friends. time's short. let's redeem it. let's be all His. let's love Him with all our hearts, and love people how He loves us. let's walk in sincerity and truth. He is absolutely worth it. our lives may not seem like they matter so much in the long run. but a heart that seeks after the Lord and desires to honor Him is always, always blessed. let's be blessed.
03 November 2011
17 October 2011
holland!
i'm back from a really quick but amazing trip to holland! we were supposed to go on friday.. but due to various circumstances, we left early saturday morning, sabine and i, in katha's little car. i drove.
it took us about 3 and a half hours to get to stan and marnie's. holland is such a beautiful country. it's incredibly flat, with canals being nearly as common as streets, and swans and sheep wandering about everywhere. and there are fields still full of flowers- i can't even imagine what it would be like in the springtime. we got to stan and marnie's and had coffee with them and maarten, catching each other up on things that have been going on. the last time i was at their house was 5 years ago, my first semester in germany. a group of us from the bible college drove out there to visit them and to pray with them about the church they were going to be planting a couple months after we were there. since then, i've heard reports of an awesome work going on in holland. maarten and roloef came to the bible college to study, the same two years that i was interning and on staff. roelof left a semester before he graduated, and maarten graduated the next semester, which was my last. i led worship all the time with roloef in siegen, and at the black forest academy twice. maarten went on my outreach team to vienna and was the person responsible for getting me on facebook [he reminds me of that every time we meet!]. they're really sweet guys and it was such a joy to see them again, this time in their home church.
saturday night stan's nephew and his girlfriend came over for dinner, and we sat around talking for a long time. they aren't believers, but this was the first time they opened up with s&m and talked about the Lord and asked questions! it was really cool to be there for that. and marnie made her famous burgers. you need to get to know marnie and experience her burgers. trust me. i also tried some drop, which is salty black licorice. wasn't too keen on the first one but by sunday afternoon i was really liking them! they sent me home with the rest of the package, to encourage my newfound habit.
sunday morning was church at cc cross culture! it was great. i got to lead worship with roelof- 5 songs in english and two in dutch! i loved it!! dutch is fairly similar to german, so i understood some of the words, and i knew what the songs meant already, but it was absolutely delightful trying to read and pronounce along while singing harmony. SO MUCH FUN. i need to learn dutch. they use their throat a lot, and their R's aren't as tricky as german ones! :)
roelof translated the service for bin and i, which was really helpful- we were in 1 thessalonians. got to hang out and drink coffee afterwards, and then they packed everything up and we went home to have lunch with s&m, their daughter alyssa and her fiancé michel, and maarten. another fun time talking and sharing. we were helping maarten try to figure out how to decorate his new apartment. lots of opinions!
we took off at about 4:30, so we could be home by 8pm or so. everything was going great, and about a half hour before home we stopped to get a sandwich. we were off the road for maybe 10 minutes. got back in the car, kept driving, and all of the sudden there were fire trucks and police cars everywhere, going our direction. 1.7 kilometers before our exit, everyone stopped. and waited, and waited, and waited. finally we all had our cars off, and were walking around. no end in sight. stau. heard on the radio that there had been an accident with 5 cars [nobody killed but all were hurt], and that the road was closed until 1am. so we put on our extra clothes and tried to keep warm! we saw the moon rise! it was so weird, like we were camping but on the autobahn with hundreds/thousands of other cars. i was getting really sleepy and all of the sudden after 3 hours at like 11pm we heard cars starting... and saw lights turning on... so we quick turned on the car and got ready- and got to keep driving! sooooo thankful. we were only 20 minutes from home but it could have been 2 or more hours waiting there. so thankful that God had us pull off when we did- we might have been in the accident. so thankful we were safe.. even though it was a little disappointing to be stuck so close to home with no way off the road!
so by 11:30pm we were both home and getting settled in. 2 crazy days but such a blessed trip. God is so good. Dank U Vel, mijn Herr!
14 October 2011
what i've been up to this week.
by sunday i'll have led worship 6 times in 8 days! ai chihuahua.
this picture is from cc herborn's youth group on sunday! it was their first day in their new room. really sweet time, and i was super blessed by the message as well.
my throat and neck are still messed up. trying to take it easy today and tomorrow aka not singing or getting talked into leading worship! :)
got to lead worship last night for the bible college's koinonia. sweet time of praying for outreach teams too.
the sun is out. i am sooooooo thankful.
we didn't get to do our super awesome deal last night so i'll post about it once it actually comes to pass.
lots of plans still in constant change.
trust in the Lord and do good. dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.
delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
commit your way to the Lord and He shall bring it to pass..
10 October 2011
chill monday.
thanks for praying! life's been crazy, but so blessed.
my teaching at chozen girls at the cc siegen youth group on friday went well! our theme was "God is faithful- so let us hope in Him!" i had the girls take turns reading verses that have really encouraged me this past year, and we worked our way through psalm 23 to see how faithful God really is as our Good Shepherd.
worship at cc herborn's youth group also went really well yesterday- lots of sweet people.
my throat's been a little funky lately- will you please pray for it to feel better soon? i'm leading worship 4 times this week......
-tonight at monday night class [ccbc]
-wednesday at cc herborn's midweek service
-friday morning at ccbc morning devotions
-sunday morning at cc cross culture in nieuw veneep, holland!
please also pray for safe travels to and from holland, wisdom in preparing for upcoming trips, strength to persevere through a busy schedule, and that i will simply abide in the Lord and know that He'll produce the fruit.
also thursday looks like it'll be the day for a new venture in musical goodness- more on that to come :)
lots of love from germany! i pray that you'll know and believe God's love for you today, and abide in it richly and contentedly.
my teaching at chozen girls at the cc siegen youth group on friday went well! our theme was "God is faithful- so let us hope in Him!" i had the girls take turns reading verses that have really encouraged me this past year, and we worked our way through psalm 23 to see how faithful God really is as our Good Shepherd.
worship at cc herborn's youth group also went really well yesterday- lots of sweet people.
my throat's been a little funky lately- will you please pray for it to feel better soon? i'm leading worship 4 times this week......
-tonight at monday night class [ccbc]
-wednesday at cc herborn's midweek service
-friday morning at ccbc morning devotions
-sunday morning at cc cross culture in nieuw veneep, holland!
please also pray for safe travels to and from holland, wisdom in preparing for upcoming trips, strength to persevere through a busy schedule, and that i will simply abide in the Lord and know that He'll produce the fruit.
also thursday looks like it'll be the day for a new venture in musical goodness- more on that to come :)
lots of love from germany! i pray that you'll know and believe God's love for you today, and abide in it richly and contentedly.
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
We love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4:16-19
06 October 2011
guten morgen from siegen! i saw the sun for a few minutes early this morning but it's clouding over and the rain shall assuredly come, as surely as the sun does rise. thank you all for your prayers. all my travels have been safe and very blessed. i've had a few adventures but never once have i gotten lost, missed a train/bus/plane, had overweight luggage fees, anything. all good things come from the Lord's hand!
so, london. here's a brief overview:
-arrived thursday afternoon. debbie picked me up at the tube station and brought me home. prayer meeting was sweet that night. i was informed that the last time i was in london with the siegen team two years ago, we were so exhausted from our bristol trip that we've ever since been known as "the sleepy team, because you were so shattered when you got here!" i remember that sleepiness!
-friday i slept in, then went across the thames to greenwich for part of the day. it was in the 80s the whole time i was in london. it never once rained. it was unexpected, to say the least, and a huge blessing!! sunshine always encourages my heart. :) so, debbie showed me around greenwich a bit, and after she went home i went up to greenwich park and read and prayed for a while, and looked around a bit. friday night dan and debbie came over to have dinner with us, which was really nice.
-saturday i met my friend jeremy in london, and we had all sorts of adventures! saw covent garden real quick, walked to trafalgar square, looked around the national gallery for a ship-in-a-bottle exhibition that apparently closed over a year ago, but saw some monet paintings to make up for it! we ate lunch in the crypt cafe beneath St-Martin-in-the-Fields church, then headed toward the river. rode on a sweet singing elevator multiple times in a concert hall, got an ice cream on westminster bridge [maybe it has another name?], walked beneath big ben, hung out in a park between the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey until the appointed time when we were admitted into the abbey for the 3pm Evensong service! how glorious, and somewhat strange. pipe organ, choir with boys and men, gorgeous unreal architecture, a really long song-prayer to michael the archangel, and a few legit scriptural references. so that's what the church of england is like. interesting. after that we were tired so we came back to debbie and marshall's and hung out, and i got worship ready for sunday. then back into town for some delicious marks&spencer goodies for dinner, and then back to St Martin in the Fields for a candlelight baroque concert! we only stayed for half but it was quite nice indeed. it was great to hang out with jeremy again and catch up on all the Lord's been doing in each other's lives. we used to lead worship together in germany.
-sunday i got to lead worship at calvary docklands & city. what a sweet church! oh how dear they are. i recognized several people from before, and made new friends as well. super blessed to be back to visit them again. after church we had Pret for lunch and then debbie and marshall drove me around to london bridge station where i was to take my train. they have an awesome vintage looking car that has a tiny backseat and an even smaller boot [trunk], so we put the top down [it's also a convertible], stood my suitcase on its end on the backseat, i held my other suitcase on my lap, and we were off! it was a lovely day to cruise the streets with the top down. :) got to the station and went upstairs to find the right platform, and then i was informed that although i'd bought a ticket to the airport to leave from that station, there was no train running from there to the airport today! so the man quickly rattled off the 2 tube lines i'd need to take to get to a station where i could catch the train. so, off i went, two suitcases in tow. i made it! praise the Lord. He led me the whole way. made it to the airport with plenty of time, had a snack, eventually got on the plane and flew to germany! simon and michelle picked me up- as usual, it was a very joyous reunion. they brought me back to the BC apartments, where i'm staying. feels like home all over again!
germany thus far:
-monday: breakfast with katja and sabine. german breakfast beats every other breakfast anywhere, ever. afterwards bin and i had a wander in the wald [forest]. beautiful. later michelle and simon picked me up and i hung out with them for a few hours. went to the villa and hung out with everyone there for a bit, then janina picked me up and we went to cafe bar celona to hang out with marco, annika, micha, and jan. i was a little slow getting back into german-speaking mode, but they were all helpful. so good to be with these friends again! this is the family of my heart.
-tuesday: got up early, walked to devos with britta, hung out in the coffeebar for the morning, had döner with kerstin and sabine, came home for the afternoon, and went to women's discipleship in the evening. so encouraging. it was lovely getting to sit in on not one but TWO worship sessions where i didn't have to lead. refreshing and sweet.
-wednesday/yesterday i spent all day with michelle! walked up to her house, had waffles and coffee, went into town and did a little shopping and a lot of talking, had a coffee, and later got pizza and brought that home to eat while we watched Tangled. she leaves for peru on saturday, so we had to make sure we hung out before she left! we have this crazy habit of only ever being in the same continent for a few days at a time before one person leaves. we'll get to hang out once she's back though!
-this morning i got to lead worship at the bible college for devotions. what sweet people are here this semester. i love them all already. then karen brought me home and i've been drinking tea and working on preparing for tomorrow night when i teach at chozen girls, the girls' ministry of the youth group! looking forward to it.
-later i'll head back to the BC for lunch and all-school prayer, maybe study some more, and go to the soup kitchen downtown tonight to help out.
-tomorrow i'm playing piano for karen's first choir practice, studying some more, hanging out with susanne, and teaching at chozen girls!
-wedding on saturday, leading worship at cc herborn youth group on sunday, going to cc siegen sunday night hopefully.
busy busy but soooo good!
so, if you've made it this far down [whether by reading or scrolling, i care not how!] please pray for:
-a continued blessed time in siegen
-balance between people/rest/ministry
-the Lord to really speak through me as i study and prepare to teach the youth group girls tomorrow night!!!!
-time and opportunity to see everyone
-continued direction for yet-unmade plans. lots of opportunities!
-that i'll be a blessing, hopefully as much as i'm already being blessed!
thank the Lord for the fellowship of believers!! thank Him for using this church/bible college to send out SO MANY into europe as missionaries. nearly every single person i've stayed with has some kind of connection to siegen. it's awesome to see how the Lord has used and is using this place. thank Him for all His goodness!
thank you for praying for me and being with me on this missionary journey! this is a huge blessing for me personally but i know it is a huge blessing to your account that you are following along and praying for these things and for me. it is fruit to your account.
much love, a.
ps next week is TBA but it'll be grand, let me tell you!
so, london. here's a brief overview:
-arrived thursday afternoon. debbie picked me up at the tube station and brought me home. prayer meeting was sweet that night. i was informed that the last time i was in london with the siegen team two years ago, we were so exhausted from our bristol trip that we've ever since been known as "the sleepy team, because you were so shattered when you got here!" i remember that sleepiness!
-friday i slept in, then went across the thames to greenwich for part of the day. it was in the 80s the whole time i was in london. it never once rained. it was unexpected, to say the least, and a huge blessing!! sunshine always encourages my heart. :) so, debbie showed me around greenwich a bit, and after she went home i went up to greenwich park and read and prayed for a while, and looked around a bit. friday night dan and debbie came over to have dinner with us, which was really nice.
-saturday i met my friend jeremy in london, and we had all sorts of adventures! saw covent garden real quick, walked to trafalgar square, looked around the national gallery for a ship-in-a-bottle exhibition that apparently closed over a year ago, but saw some monet paintings to make up for it! we ate lunch in the crypt cafe beneath St-Martin-in-the-Fields church, then headed toward the river. rode on a sweet singing elevator multiple times in a concert hall, got an ice cream on westminster bridge [maybe it has another name?], walked beneath big ben, hung out in a park between the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey until the appointed time when we were admitted into the abbey for the 3pm Evensong service! how glorious, and somewhat strange. pipe organ, choir with boys and men, gorgeous unreal architecture, a really long song-prayer to michael the archangel, and a few legit scriptural references. so that's what the church of england is like. interesting. after that we were tired so we came back to debbie and marshall's and hung out, and i got worship ready for sunday. then back into town for some delicious marks&spencer goodies for dinner, and then back to St Martin in the Fields for a candlelight baroque concert! we only stayed for half but it was quite nice indeed. it was great to hang out with jeremy again and catch up on all the Lord's been doing in each other's lives. we used to lead worship together in germany.
-sunday i got to lead worship at calvary docklands & city. what a sweet church! oh how dear they are. i recognized several people from before, and made new friends as well. super blessed to be back to visit them again. after church we had Pret for lunch and then debbie and marshall drove me around to london bridge station where i was to take my train. they have an awesome vintage looking car that has a tiny backseat and an even smaller boot [trunk], so we put the top down [it's also a convertible], stood my suitcase on its end on the backseat, i held my other suitcase on my lap, and we were off! it was a lovely day to cruise the streets with the top down. :) got to the station and went upstairs to find the right platform, and then i was informed that although i'd bought a ticket to the airport to leave from that station, there was no train running from there to the airport today! so the man quickly rattled off the 2 tube lines i'd need to take to get to a station where i could catch the train. so, off i went, two suitcases in tow. i made it! praise the Lord. He led me the whole way. made it to the airport with plenty of time, had a snack, eventually got on the plane and flew to germany! simon and michelle picked me up- as usual, it was a very joyous reunion. they brought me back to the BC apartments, where i'm staying. feels like home all over again!
germany thus far:
-monday: breakfast with katja and sabine. german breakfast beats every other breakfast anywhere, ever. afterwards bin and i had a wander in the wald [forest]. beautiful. later michelle and simon picked me up and i hung out with them for a few hours. went to the villa and hung out with everyone there for a bit, then janina picked me up and we went to cafe bar celona to hang out with marco, annika, micha, and jan. i was a little slow getting back into german-speaking mode, but they were all helpful. so good to be with these friends again! this is the family of my heart.
-tuesday: got up early, walked to devos with britta, hung out in the coffeebar for the morning, had döner with kerstin and sabine, came home for the afternoon, and went to women's discipleship in the evening. so encouraging. it was lovely getting to sit in on not one but TWO worship sessions where i didn't have to lead. refreshing and sweet.
-wednesday/yesterday i spent all day with michelle! walked up to her house, had waffles and coffee, went into town and did a little shopping and a lot of talking, had a coffee, and later got pizza and brought that home to eat while we watched Tangled. she leaves for peru on saturday, so we had to make sure we hung out before she left! we have this crazy habit of only ever being in the same continent for a few days at a time before one person leaves. we'll get to hang out once she's back though!
-this morning i got to lead worship at the bible college for devotions. what sweet people are here this semester. i love them all already. then karen brought me home and i've been drinking tea and working on preparing for tomorrow night when i teach at chozen girls, the girls' ministry of the youth group! looking forward to it.
-later i'll head back to the BC for lunch and all-school prayer, maybe study some more, and go to the soup kitchen downtown tonight to help out.
-tomorrow i'm playing piano for karen's first choir practice, studying some more, hanging out with susanne, and teaching at chozen girls!
-wedding on saturday, leading worship at cc herborn youth group on sunday, going to cc siegen sunday night hopefully.
busy busy but soooo good!
so, if you've made it this far down [whether by reading or scrolling, i care not how!] please pray for:
-a continued blessed time in siegen
-balance between people/rest/ministry
-the Lord to really speak through me as i study and prepare to teach the youth group girls tomorrow night!!!!
-time and opportunity to see everyone
-continued direction for yet-unmade plans. lots of opportunities!
-that i'll be a blessing, hopefully as much as i'm already being blessed!
thank the Lord for the fellowship of believers!! thank Him for using this church/bible college to send out SO MANY into europe as missionaries. nearly every single person i've stayed with has some kind of connection to siegen. it's awesome to see how the Lord has used and is using this place. thank Him for all His goodness!
thank you for praying for me and being with me on this missionary journey! this is a huge blessing for me personally but i know it is a huge blessing to your account that you are following along and praying for these things and for me. it is fruit to your account.
much love, a.
ps next week is TBA but it'll be grand, let me tell you!
01 October 2011
29 September 2011
long overdue!
hey everyone, thanks for your patience! we were having way too much fun in cork to be able to sit down to blog!
the conference was GREAT. thank you so much for your prayers. the Lord was our strength, we had amazing volunteers working in kids ministry with us, the kids were awesome, it was a beautiful place, and we got the absolute best mexican meal ever on sunday night. weekend well spent!!
aan-sofie and i got home at like midnight on sunday and slept till noon on monday! it was a chill day. we went into town for a really late lunch/early dinner, wandered a bit, and came home to watch a movie and skype with inga-lill. tuesday we went to kinsale, which is a gooorgeous irish town along the sea. had the best fish and chips ever, freshly caught that morning. bought a claddagh ring, which is the hands holding a crowned heart. later rachel [the pastor's wife] and eoin [their son] met us down there and we saw the historic fort together. after we came back to cork, aan-sofie and i went out to dave and audrey's house for a legit irish dinner! she made irish stew and incredible wholemeal grain bread and blackberry crumble. mmm. then we hung out, played card games, watched a Father Ted episode [very irish], and laughed till we were nearly too tired to get home. such a great time.
wednesday we woke up early and made a huge batch of banana bread [which the irish would call "cake" because it's quite sweet!], then i stayed at home while aan-sofie went into town for some church business and tour guiding of other friends! i went down into the city for a bit, wandered through a few shops, ate another lovely organic meal at the quay co-op [first day i had african mung bean/tomato/lime stew and mashed carrots and turnips, and this time i had red pepper/mushroom/spinach quinoa risotto. seriously.. so good.] and eventually headed back up the hill homewards. i have to say that cork is a really great city. it's quite easily accessible, very colorful, not overly posh, and the irish people are sooo friendly and talkative and kind. you just can't go wrong in cork!
wednesday night i got to lead worship at calvary cork again, which was a blessing again! jimmy o'keefe taught, and we realized we've got plenty of mutual friends! it's amazing how many connections there are out here. i am so blessed to be able to travel around and see missionaries and make new friends and spend time with people who are like family.
this morning we woke up, got my suitcases all packed and weighed [and emptied a bit!], then went into town for a legit eggs florentine and coffee. ran into a couple shops and then grabbed my stuff and headed for the bus station. it was a sad goodbye! my time with aan-sofie was soooo blessed by the Lord. just like in colossians 4, i know the Lord sent me out on this trip "to know circumstances and encourage hearts." i was so encouraged by our conversations, times of prayer, serving together, and likemindedness. and dang can that girl cook!
so this afternoon i flew out to london! from gatwick i took a train to london bridge, followed by a tube to canary wharf, where debbie alnutt met me at starbucks and brought me home! it's soooo lovely to be here with marshall and debbie! i'm blessed and encouraged and uplifted already. we had a little dinner and then a few others from church came over for prayer meeting tonight. i was blessed by fervent hearts for the lost. tomorrow i'm hanging out around here with debbie and tomorrow night a few friends are coming over for dinner! looking forward to some great fellowship this weekend. i get to lead worship on sunday at calvary docklands and city. so looking forward to that. i was here two years ago and they were so welcoming.
one other side note: although i've had crazy visa troubles of my own, i've been able to witness people in every place get visas and citizenships since i've been here! God is truly the Visa-Giver and He is blessing His people in leatherhead, cork, and docklands with visas and citizenship in their places of ministry. so exciting!
time for this girl to go to bed! thanks again for praying. please pray for an abundantly blessed weekend; good fellowship; fast friendships; a great sunday service. also i hope to hang out with my worship leading buddy jeremy on saturday! so you can pray we get to do lots of awesome stuff :)
love you all! xx from the banks of the river thames!
the conference was GREAT. thank you so much for your prayers. the Lord was our strength, we had amazing volunteers working in kids ministry with us, the kids were awesome, it was a beautiful place, and we got the absolute best mexican meal ever on sunday night. weekend well spent!!
aan-sofie and i got home at like midnight on sunday and slept till noon on monday! it was a chill day. we went into town for a really late lunch/early dinner, wandered a bit, and came home to watch a movie and skype with inga-lill. tuesday we went to kinsale, which is a gooorgeous irish town along the sea. had the best fish and chips ever, freshly caught that morning. bought a claddagh ring, which is the hands holding a crowned heart. later rachel [the pastor's wife] and eoin [their son] met us down there and we saw the historic fort together. after we came back to cork, aan-sofie and i went out to dave and audrey's house for a legit irish dinner! she made irish stew and incredible wholemeal grain bread and blackberry crumble. mmm. then we hung out, played card games, watched a Father Ted episode [very irish], and laughed till we were nearly too tired to get home. such a great time.
wednesday we woke up early and made a huge batch of banana bread [which the irish would call "cake" because it's quite sweet!], then i stayed at home while aan-sofie went into town for some church business and tour guiding of other friends! i went down into the city for a bit, wandered through a few shops, ate another lovely organic meal at the quay co-op [first day i had african mung bean/tomato/lime stew and mashed carrots and turnips, and this time i had red pepper/mushroom/spinach quinoa risotto. seriously.. so good.] and eventually headed back up the hill homewards. i have to say that cork is a really great city. it's quite easily accessible, very colorful, not overly posh, and the irish people are sooo friendly and talkative and kind. you just can't go wrong in cork!
wednesday night i got to lead worship at calvary cork again, which was a blessing again! jimmy o'keefe taught, and we realized we've got plenty of mutual friends! it's amazing how many connections there are out here. i am so blessed to be able to travel around and see missionaries and make new friends and spend time with people who are like family.
this morning we woke up, got my suitcases all packed and weighed [and emptied a bit!], then went into town for a legit eggs florentine and coffee. ran into a couple shops and then grabbed my stuff and headed for the bus station. it was a sad goodbye! my time with aan-sofie was soooo blessed by the Lord. just like in colossians 4, i know the Lord sent me out on this trip "to know circumstances and encourage hearts." i was so encouraged by our conversations, times of prayer, serving together, and likemindedness. and dang can that girl cook!
so this afternoon i flew out to london! from gatwick i took a train to london bridge, followed by a tube to canary wharf, where debbie alnutt met me at starbucks and brought me home! it's soooo lovely to be here with marshall and debbie! i'm blessed and encouraged and uplifted already. we had a little dinner and then a few others from church came over for prayer meeting tonight. i was blessed by fervent hearts for the lost. tomorrow i'm hanging out around here with debbie and tomorrow night a few friends are coming over for dinner! looking forward to some great fellowship this weekend. i get to lead worship on sunday at calvary docklands and city. so looking forward to that. i was here two years ago and they were so welcoming.
one other side note: although i've had crazy visa troubles of my own, i've been able to witness people in every place get visas and citizenships since i've been here! God is truly the Visa-Giver and He is blessing His people in leatherhead, cork, and docklands with visas and citizenship in their places of ministry. so exciting!
time for this girl to go to bed! thanks again for praying. please pray for an abundantly blessed weekend; good fellowship; fast friendships; a great sunday service. also i hope to hang out with my worship leading buddy jeremy on saturday! so you can pray we get to do lots of awesome stuff :)
love you all! xx from the banks of the river thames!
21 September 2011
to dublin we go
so i'm in cork, it's 3:53am, and we're headed to dublin this morning! it's been really nice so far to be in cork, and to be in ireland for the first time. it's quite different from england in a lot of ways, although you'd think it would be nearly the same. however, the people i've met in both places have been very kind.
today we're off to dublin for a few hours and then from there we'll go to the place where the all-ireland conference will happen this weekend. i'm helping with children's ministry, so aan-sofie and i will have 2 big suitcases full of supplies in tow, plus our own stuff. we're hoping to leave our belongings in a locker in dublin at the train station so we can use our few hours in town to look around a bit. otherwise we'll take turns camping out with the stuff. i'm hoping we'll find a locker so we don't feel strapped to the stuff. but, whatever works.
please pray for a blessed conference! pray that the parents will be blessed in their sessions, that we'll be blessed as we minister to the kids, that the kids will be blessed and at ease with us, that we'll all have sufficient strength and grace to rely on the Lord for each step of each day. i'm a bit tired already so especial prayers for my strength and that i'd abide in the Lord would be appreciated. thank you.
love to you all. God is good. His family is so vast, and i've been blessed every single place i've gone. i do believe the Lord is going to use this conference mightily to equip His people for the work of the ministry, and to encourage each one of us.
so i'll try to write again monday to let you know how He has done just that!
xo
today we're off to dublin for a few hours and then from there we'll go to the place where the all-ireland conference will happen this weekend. i'm helping with children's ministry, so aan-sofie and i will have 2 big suitcases full of supplies in tow, plus our own stuff. we're hoping to leave our belongings in a locker in dublin at the train station so we can use our few hours in town to look around a bit. otherwise we'll take turns camping out with the stuff. i'm hoping we'll find a locker so we don't feel strapped to the stuff. but, whatever works.
please pray for a blessed conference! pray that the parents will be blessed in their sessions, that we'll be blessed as we minister to the kids, that the kids will be blessed and at ease with us, that we'll all have sufficient strength and grace to rely on the Lord for each step of each day. i'm a bit tired already so especial prayers for my strength and that i'd abide in the Lord would be appreciated. thank you.
love to you all. God is good. His family is so vast, and i've been blessed every single place i've gone. i do believe the Lord is going to use this conference mightily to equip His people for the work of the ministry, and to encourage each one of us.
so i'll try to write again monday to let you know how He has done just that!
xo
19 September 2011
last day in leatherhead.. already?!
thanks for praying for me though i've been sporadic with the updates!
i'm currently in leatherhead, england, staying at matt and dianna kottman's home.
i got to lead worship yesterday at CC Leatherhead, which was a huge blessing, and spent all day hanging out with people from the church. everyone is so sweet. they've all been praying for me so faithfully over this past year. i am blessed and humbled, and enjoying every bit.
today i got to help teach school to the kottman kids, and had coffee with a friend-i'd-never-yet-met! we had a great time sharing our stories of God's faithfulness and lessons He's teaching us. it was encouraging. we have a mutual friend, suzie, who introduced us when she heard i may be moving to england. otherwise it's been so lovely just hanging around with the kottmans and seeing a bit more of the english life.
tonight we had proper scones with clotted cream and jam. did you know they toast their scones here before they smother them in goodness? um, starbucks, you really have nothing on england with your scones. these were incredible. add some tea with milk and life is goooooood.
tomorrow i'll be taking off for the airport about 11am- flying from gatwick to cork, ireland! a lady from the church is willing to bring me to the airport, which is such a kind blessing. pray that my bags aren't overweight.. my typical prayer when flying. i really only bought a few small things but you never know with ryanair.. they like to cause trouble..! it's a short flight and i'll be in cork by 3pm.
it seems like this weekend flew by. i left bristol friday night with katja after a busy sightseeing day. we got to twickenham station a little after 10pm, joanie picked us up, and we went home and crashed. saturday we slept in a bit, had a nice leisurely breakfast and then headed to a boot sale [a boot is the trunk of a car, fyi- i'm learning a whole new english vocabulary! it's proper good!], and after perusing the rows of interesting items, joanie brought katja and i to hampton court palace. we explored the gardens and saw the biggest/oldest grapevine in the world [quite impressive!]. pictures are up on facebook. google it. it's crazy gorgeous. afterwards we took a bus into kingston to explore the shops and have a nice coffee whilst the rain came down and the floods came up outside. actually, for being in england 2 weeks already, i've not seen half of the rain i expected. we bought cheap umbrellas at the mall. in other news, primark is my new favorite store. after we searched it high and low for exquisite finds, and purchased just a few, we headed back to joanie's, met up with eleanor, who got us on the right train towards london. i hopped off at clapham junction to catch the train for leatherhead and they headed into town. got here safe and sound, no problems at all, and have been having fun ever since!
i'll try to update again soon from ireland. i'll be catching up with aan-sofie, preparing kids ministry stuff with her for this weekend's conference in dublin, leading worship at calvary cork on wednesday, then heading to the conference on thursday with aan-sofie to get things set up. i hear tell that siegen friends will be in attendance as well..! we'll spend all weekend in dublin, then back to cork for some relaxing and sightseeing till thursday. after that, you'll just have to check the blog. hint: it starts with lon and ends with don.
life is one grand adventure! thanks again for your prayers. i came out to be a blessing but i've been blessed so abundantly all the way along. please continue to pray that i'll be a blessing and encouragement, and that God alone will be my strength and song. to Him be the glory.
ps isn't His family incredible? i feel so loved. beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God..
xoxo
i'm currently in leatherhead, england, staying at matt and dianna kottman's home.
i got to lead worship yesterday at CC Leatherhead, which was a huge blessing, and spent all day hanging out with people from the church. everyone is so sweet. they've all been praying for me so faithfully over this past year. i am blessed and humbled, and enjoying every bit.
today i got to help teach school to the kottman kids, and had coffee with a friend-i'd-never-yet-met! we had a great time sharing our stories of God's faithfulness and lessons He's teaching us. it was encouraging. we have a mutual friend, suzie, who introduced us when she heard i may be moving to england. otherwise it's been so lovely just hanging around with the kottmans and seeing a bit more of the english life.
tonight we had proper scones with clotted cream and jam. did you know they toast their scones here before they smother them in goodness? um, starbucks, you really have nothing on england with your scones. these were incredible. add some tea with milk and life is goooooood.
tomorrow i'll be taking off for the airport about 11am- flying from gatwick to cork, ireland! a lady from the church is willing to bring me to the airport, which is such a kind blessing. pray that my bags aren't overweight.. my typical prayer when flying. i really only bought a few small things but you never know with ryanair.. they like to cause trouble..! it's a short flight and i'll be in cork by 3pm.
it seems like this weekend flew by. i left bristol friday night with katja after a busy sightseeing day. we got to twickenham station a little after 10pm, joanie picked us up, and we went home and crashed. saturday we slept in a bit, had a nice leisurely breakfast and then headed to a boot sale [a boot is the trunk of a car, fyi- i'm learning a whole new english vocabulary! it's proper good!], and after perusing the rows of interesting items, joanie brought katja and i to hampton court palace. we explored the gardens and saw the biggest/oldest grapevine in the world [quite impressive!]. pictures are up on facebook. google it. it's crazy gorgeous. afterwards we took a bus into kingston to explore the shops and have a nice coffee whilst the rain came down and the floods came up outside. actually, for being in england 2 weeks already, i've not seen half of the rain i expected. we bought cheap umbrellas at the mall. in other news, primark is my new favorite store. after we searched it high and low for exquisite finds, and purchased just a few, we headed back to joanie's, met up with eleanor, who got us on the right train towards london. i hopped off at clapham junction to catch the train for leatherhead and they headed into town. got here safe and sound, no problems at all, and have been having fun ever since!
i'll try to update again soon from ireland. i'll be catching up with aan-sofie, preparing kids ministry stuff with her for this weekend's conference in dublin, leading worship at calvary cork on wednesday, then heading to the conference on thursday with aan-sofie to get things set up. i hear tell that siegen friends will be in attendance as well..! we'll spend all weekend in dublin, then back to cork for some relaxing and sightseeing till thursday. after that, you'll just have to check the blog. hint: it starts with lon and ends with don.
life is one grand adventure! thanks again for your prayers. i came out to be a blessing but i've been blessed so abundantly all the way along. please continue to pray that i'll be a blessing and encouragement, and that God alone will be my strength and song. to Him be the glory.
ps isn't His family incredible? i feel so loved. beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God..
xoxo
16 September 2011
last day in bristol
it's been 10 days already! i'm sad to leave bristol. it's been such a lovely visit.
we had bible study again last night here at the berrys house, and enjoyed some great fellowship with katja who is visiting from siegen.
tonight i'll catch the train with katja to twickenham to stay at the dingmans' house, then tomorrow morning i'll head up to leatherhead for the weekend. tomorrow i'll watch the kottman kids while matt and dianna go to a wedding, sunday i'll lead worship, and then i'll be hanging out there until tuesday when i'll fly to ireland.
please pray that all our connections will work getting to twickenham, and that my time in leatherhead will be fruitful and blessed.
fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith..
love a.
we had bible study again last night here at the berrys house, and enjoyed some great fellowship with katja who is visiting from siegen.
tonight i'll catch the train with katja to twickenham to stay at the dingmans' house, then tomorrow morning i'll head up to leatherhead for the weekend. tomorrow i'll watch the kottman kids while matt and dianna go to a wedding, sunday i'll lead worship, and then i'll be hanging out there until tuesday when i'll fly to ireland.
please pray that all our connections will work getting to twickenham, and that my time in leatherhead will be fruitful and blessed.
fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith..
love a.
13 September 2011
the sea.
yesterday we all went out to clevedon, which is a town by the sea. it was dreadfully windy but so beautiful.
clevedon pier- they still receive ships out there! just too windy this week.
beautiful church and graveyard along Poet's Walk- see the sea in the background?
snacks for the journey. we thanked the Lord for these bushes towering over the path- it gave us a break from the wind.
beautiful.
there was much flying to be done!
thistles on the moor!
conor atop the old bunker.
a sweet lady walking her dog summed up the day just so: "exhilarating, isn't it?!"
pretty quote-unquote "fantastic!"
wales was lovely! we stayed with a dear girl named claire, ate portuguese food, watched julie and julia, drank loads of tea and ate a whole bag of cadbury caramel bits [seriously the best cadbury i've ever experienced!], went to calvary cardiff sunday morning, talked with wonderfully sweet people from the church, saw a bit of a rugby match, ate sunday dinner with 12 or so new [to me] friends at the pastor's parents' house, heard lovely stories from the ladies, and headed back to bristol on the train sunday night. whew, that was a run-on sentence. wales is a dear place.
claire's lovely house
me and fae keeping warm
the berrys!
wales!
boots!
welsh!
10 September 2011
going across the bay
last night i babysat fae so hannah and conor could go on a date celebrating their fourth anniversary. we had a good time! after she went to bed, i was able to book my train ticket to london for next weekend, and my flight to and from ireland. just need a flight to germany for the week afterwards.
but here's the update! we've had a lovely week so far. this morning we went down to the waterfront to visit the new Bristol museum called M-Shed. afterwards we did a little window shopping, had a delicious lunch at Pret a Manger, and headed home for naptime.
this afternoon we're going to Cardiff, Wales! we'll spend the night with a friend who goes to CC Cardiff, and tomorrow conor is teaching at church. i'm really excited to see wales, but i always look forward to meeting believers from different places in europe. i've heard rave reviews about some lovely folks on the other side of the harbor, and about the city of cardiff itself.
so please pray for a lovely, encouraging, refreshing weekend for all of us, and a blessed service tomorrow morning.
lots of love!
a.
09 September 2011
cc bristol
last night, after our lovely day strolling through Clifton, was the weekly meeting of Calvary Chapel Bristol! they meet every thursday at conor and hannah's flat for bible study and worship, and on mondays for prayer meeting. they said this was the biggest meeting yet! it was nice and cozy. i got to lead worship, ben taught from genesis 31-33, hannah kept us supplied coffee or tea, and conor prepared a big pot of really tasty black beans that we feasted upon after the study. a few people had to take off right away, but the rest of us hung out and had a great time talking about all sorts of stuff. we all went to bed encouraged that the Lord is doing a good work here in bristol!
thank you all for praying!! i have nearly every day known without a doubt that many people are praying for me and for this "missionary journey" which i'm making throughout europe. please keep praying for this church here in bristol, that God, by His Word and His Spirit, would continue this good work which He has begun.
08 September 2011
i found a beautiful russian stamp necklace with a picture of a ship on it... you may have to see it to believe it!
and i found some lovely yarn, so hannah can teach me to knit socks! lessons have already begun. it's lovely! xx
06 September 2011
bristol!
Fae and jet-lagging Nannie!
flight #2: i was the only standby person who was immediately cleared and given a ticket!
got in really early to heathrow, but stood in the customs line for an hour, so i got out of baggage claim on time.
handed off a box of books to a friend who met me at the gate, and hopped on the bus to bristol.
my bus drivers were very nice. one was a big friendly giant who asked me where i was going, and the other was a fairly average guy whose language was utterly incomprehensible to me. i suppose it must have been english? he mentioned something about the weather being lovely, and i said, "oh yes, beautiful."
it's been rainy off and on all day. british weather is quite cozy.
it's been rainy off and on all day. british weather is quite cozy.
got to bristol at noon, conor and fae picked me up, and we ate a sandwich before walking home.
hannah got off work and we had coffee, went for a walk up the hill a bit, had some baked potatoes, and now fae's in bed.
trying to make my 2 hours of sleep last night last me until a decent bedtime tonight. we'll see how it goes.
cheers from bristol!
xo a.
03 September 2011
missionary journey: post 1.
i leave on monday!
praise the Lord:
-i see His hand so strongly at work on my behalf, in arranging my schedule and places to go
-He provides!!
-i am so excited, blessed, and humbled to have this opportunity to journey out as a missionary, in order to bless other missionaries.
please pray:
-that i can get on my flight and travel without delays! i'm flying standby at 3:35pm, this monday.
-that God would continue to arrange my plans. i'm waiting on a few emails from people to visit; i'll be buying all my tickets fairly last minute for travel within Europe.
-i am sure that many things will change even after i arrive. please pray for flexibility on my part and that all changes would result in more blessing to others and glory to God. He knows where i need to be and when.
-i am sick! the sneezy noseblowing kind. please pray that i get well soon, and that i don't develop a cough or infect others.
first stop: BRISTOL, UK!
and here's a verse i read this morning that perfectly sums up my heart and vision for ministry this fall:
I am sending him [or her, in my case!] to you for this very purpose:
that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you,
always laboring fervently for you in prayers,
that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
-Colossians 4:8, 12.
thank you! love you all.
a.
praise the Lord:
-i see His hand so strongly at work on my behalf, in arranging my schedule and places to go
-He provides!!
-i am so excited, blessed, and humbled to have this opportunity to journey out as a missionary, in order to bless other missionaries.
please pray:
-that i can get on my flight and travel without delays! i'm flying standby at 3:35pm, this monday.
-that God would continue to arrange my plans. i'm waiting on a few emails from people to visit; i'll be buying all my tickets fairly last minute for travel within Europe.
-i am sure that many things will change even after i arrive. please pray for flexibility on my part and that all changes would result in more blessing to others and glory to God. He knows where i need to be and when.
-i am sick! the sneezy noseblowing kind. please pray that i get well soon, and that i don't develop a cough or infect others.
first stop: BRISTOL, UK!
and here's a verse i read this morning that perfectly sums up my heart and vision for ministry this fall:
I am sending him [or her, in my case!] to you for this very purpose:
that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you,
always laboring fervently for you in prayers,
that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
-Colossians 4:8, 12.
thank you! love you all.
a.
today's streams in the desert
September 3
"And He saw them toiling in rowing." [Mark 6:48]
Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives man to do. Only God Himself, who always works without strain, and who never overworks, can do the work that He assigns to His children. When they restfully trust Him to do it, it will be well done and completely done. The way to let Him do His work through us is to partake of Christ so fully, by faith, that He more than fills our life.
A man who had learned this secret once said: "I came to Jesus and I drank, and I do not think that I shall ever be thirsty again. I have taken for my motto, 'Not overwork, but overflow'; and already it has made all the difference in my life."
There is no effort in overflow. It is quietly irresistible. It is the normal life of omnipotent and ceaseless accomplishment into which Christ invites us today and always. --Sunday School Times.
Be all at rest, my soul, O blessed secret,
Of the true life that glorifies thy Lord:
Not always doth the busiest soul best serve Him,
But he that resteth on His faithful Word.
Be all at rest, let not your heart be rippled,
For tiny wavelets mar the image fair,
Which the still pool reflects of heaven's glory--
And thus the image He would have thee bear.
Be all at rest, my soul, for rest is service,
To the still heart God doth His secrets tell;
Thus shalt thou learn to wait, and watch, and labor,
Strengthened to bear, since Christ in thee doth dwell.
For what is service but the life of Jesus,
Lived through a vessel of earth's fragile clay,
Loving and giving and poured forth for others,
A living sacrifice from day to day.
Be all at rest, so shalt thou be an answer
To those who question, "Who is God and where?"
For God is rest, and where He dwells is stillness,
And they who dwell in Him, His rest shall share.
And what shall meet the deep unrest around thee,
But the calm peace of God that filled His breast?
For still a living Voice calls to the weary,
From Him who said, "Come unto Me and rest."
--Freda Hanbury Allen
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